Fastening and holding device



R. F. AND M. WORKMAN.

FASTENING AND HOUHNGDEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED sum. 4.1920.

lfi wl 3. Patentd Feb. 22, 1921.

Inventors. Ross F1 Mrlrman 5;

Myrfl e Workman,

The device will preferably be inserted at the upper edge or seam of a shoe top between the outer leather and the lining so that the two prongs 4, 4* shall lie flat against the material, as indicated in Fig. 5, thereby causing pressure upon them and aiding their gripping action. The prongs, however, may be made sufficiently strong and resilient to firmly grip and hold a string tip or other article in place. The teeth 3 may be placed either at the inside or the outside of a shoe top, and when clenched will be barely visible;

' This device can be variously modified in details of construction within the spirit and scope of our invention. For instance, the prongs may be transversely curved, or may be transversely corrugated or otherwise roughened on their inner surfaces, as by indentations or punctures made in their outer surfaces. The prongs may be wider and the spaces 5 narrower than shown in Fig. 4:, but for the sake of economy the prongs of one blank may be out by a die from the metal where the spaces 5 appear, thus cutting two blanks by one stroke of the die, and thereby saving time and material.

The prong 4 is preferably made as an ex tension of the body portion 1, its outer edge being in linewith the outer edge of said body portion, and the prong 4 is also made as an extension of the portion 1, but at an offset 1 from the opposite edge of the blank, F i 4, and so as to have a space 5 substantia ly the width of a prong between the prongs 44"*, the, offset is also substantially the width of a prong. This is our preferred construction of the blank for the sake of economy in the use of material, but our invention is not limited to such details of construction.

The device, being made of thin sheet metal, occupies only a very narrow space and in no way mars the appearance of a shoe or an article of apparel; it is quite effective and satisfactory in use. 7

Our device has the advantage of having a double spring action. The tubular socket or guide is yieldable so as to take any size tip and grip the same firmly, thereby forming a circular spring. This tubular guide may be tapered slightly which makes it easier to insert in the incision made just below the top stitching of the shoe upper. The prongs 44 besides gripping the tip serve to guide the same to its place when.

spaced spring prongs to form a holding socket.

2. A fastening device of the character described, comprising a solid expansible tubular body portion, provided at the edge of one end with clenching teeth and at the opposite end with longitudinal spring prongs,

adapted to grip and hold an article inserted between them.

3. A fastening and holding device, comprising a tubular spring gripping socket having at one end longitudinal spring prongs and at the other end clenching teeth in line with the wall of said socket and adapted to be passed through a fabric and then turned inward. and upon themselves.

4. A sheet metal blank for a fastening and holding device having a plain body forming portion, clenching teeth at one edge thereof and longitudinal spaced s ring prongs projecting from the opposite e ge to form a holding socket.

A sheet metal blank of resilient mate- ROSS 'F. WORKMAN. MYRTLE WORKMAN.

Witnesses:

BLANCHE OBERDIOK, M. E. RIEDEL. 

